Russian Foreign Ministry says West blackmailing Armenia

Western countries are blackmailing the Armenian leadership over the concession of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR), demanding the removal of the "Russian factor" in exchange for allegedly multimillion-dollar investments, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated.

The ministry recalled that the issue was recently discussed on the sidelines of a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Cholpon-Ata on August 6–7, where Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk provided extensive comments on the matter, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“Given that the issue of transferring the concession to anyone had not previously been raised, there is a high probability that the Armenian leadership is simply being blackmailed. They are demanding the removal of the ‘Russian factor’ from the transport sector in exchange for promises of multimillion-dollar investments and participation in projects whose economic viability is hardly apparent. This is entirely in line with the unscrupulous games played by Western capitals to push Russia out of the South Caucasus,” the Russian diplomatic service said in response to a question about whether Yerevan had contacted Moscow through diplomatic channels regarding the SCR concession.

It noted that the South Caucasus Railway CJSC is fulfilling its obligations with the utmost responsibility and has made significant investments of more than 30 billion rubles, including in the renewal of rolling stock.

“It is important that its schedule was adjusted at the request of the Armenian side,” the ministry added. “It was precisely the expertise of Russian railway specialists that helped Armenia preserve its competitive advantages, which today make it possible, in principle, to discuss unblocking communications in the region.”

According to the state body, arguments from Yerevan that the “Russian concession allegedly prevents Armenia from participating in logistics initiatives” are completely inconsistent with reality.

“All necessary explanations on this matter have been provided at various levels. At the same time, the Armenian side has difficulty presenting counterarguments,” it remarked.

The ministry concluded that in general, before making public statements, partners usually sit down at the negotiating table and discuss existing problems and concerns in a businesslike manner, and this is especially true if, as Yerevan claims, there is a desire to find a solution in a friendly manner.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov